Using preliminary data through December 15, 2018, we predict that global downloads across iOS and Google Play will surpass 113 billion in 2018, up 10% from 2017. Consumer spend is predicted to have grown even faster at 20% year over year to surpass $76 billion globally. This is fueled by growing consumer spend in mobile games — the most popular and profitable gaming format — as well as ever-increasing revenue from in-app subscriptions in non-gaming apps.

In addition, mobile will have taken over a greater share of consumers’ time in 2018 than ever before. In 2018, the average smartphone user in the United States spent nearly 3 hours each day in apps, up 10% from 2017 and up 20% from 2016.

The Most Popular and Profitable Games and Apps of 2018

2018 has been another transformative year for mobile. We've seen the rise of social video, hyper-casual games top the charts, battle royale gaming take over the world and electric scooters becoming a popular mode of transportation. New genres and categories continue to emerge on mobile, bringing new apps and new opportunities.

To access in-depth analysis on these trends and more, pre-register to be one of the first to receive App Annie’s State of Mobile in 2019 — the industry’s leading mobile insights report — upon release in January 2019: